Dispensing device



May 22, 1951 H. s. HAWKINS 2,553,764

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1948 MWXW A wean/5r:

Patented May 22, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING DEVICE Harry S. Hawkins, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Application October 25, 1948, Serial No. 56,382

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to-dispensing equipment and refers more particularly to improvements in carriers for edible material and for beverage containers.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple, light weight, inexpensive carrier having means for supporting beverage containers as well as an edible material.

Another object of this invention is to provide a carrier embodying a wire frame on which an edible material such, for example, as one or more sandwiches may be supported and having loops at opposite sides of the frame of a size suitable to receive and support beverage containers.

' A further object of this invention is to provide a carrier of the above general type having an inverted U-shaped handle extending upwardly from the frame and having a member slidably supported on the leg portions of the handle in a manner to cooperate with the frame to firmly hold the edible material in position on the latter.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a carrier construction wherein the frame, handle and beverage container supporting loops are formed from a single length of wire.

A still further feature of this invention is to provide the carrier with a hanger pivotally supported on the frame and having a hook at the lower end engageable with the handle on an adjacent carrier. The arrangement is such as to enable a plurality of carriers to be attached together without interfering with either the edible material or the beverage containers on the individual carriers.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of dispensing equipment embodying the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the manner in which a number of dispensing devices may be connected together; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

The dispensing equipment forming the subject matter of the present invention comprises a carrier or device H] having a frame I I and having an inverted substantially U-shaped handle l2. The frame II is generally rectangular in shape, having laterally spaced side rails i3 and having end rails I4 connecting the side rails. The generally U-shaped handle I2 extends upwardly from the frame I l and the leg portions of the handle 2 are respectively connected at the lower ends thereof to the end rails 14.

A pair of substantially circular loops or frames l5 respectively project from the end rails ll of the frame and the dimension of the loops I6 is predetermined 'to receive and support beverage containers of the type indicated by the numeral H in Figure 2 of the drawings. The beverage containers I1 shown are of the standard paper variety having outwardly tapering side walls and the diameter of the loops I6 is such as to grip the containers a sufficient distance below the top edges thereof to enable conveniently removing the containers by gripping the upper portions of the same. The foregoing construction is such that a pair of beverage containers are supported on the frame I l at opposite ends of the handle i2 in a manner to, in effect, balance one another during transportation of the carrier, and accidental displacement of the container is virtually rendered impossible by the loops I6.

It will further be understood that the above construction of carrier enables conveniently transporting sandwiches together with the beverage containers. In this connection attention is again directed to Figure 2 of the drawing, wherein it will be noted that the reference numeral l8 designates two sandwiches supported in side by side relationship on the frame i i. The sandwiches l8 are preferably positioned to extend crosswise of the frame H between the legs l5 of the U-shaped handle l2, and the opposite ends of the sandwiches are respectively supported by the side rails i3 of the frame. For the purpose of holding the sandwiches I 8 in position on the frame It, a length of wire i8 is provided having the opposite ends respectively looped around the leg portions [5 of the handle and slidably engaging the leg portions. The arrangement is such that the length of wire is is supported for vertical sliding movement on the handle and is moved downwardly against the top surfaces of the sandwiches [8 after the latter are properly positioned on the frame. The loops at the opposite end of the length of wire i9 frictionally engage the leg portions 15 of the handle l2 so that the length of wire I9 is held in clamping engagement with the sandwiches or other edible material supported on the frame [3. In this connection it will be noted from Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing that the leg portions i5 diverge slightly from the handle to the frame II to gradually increase the friction between the wire I9 and theleg portions 15 as the wire [9 is moved downwardly toward the frame .II. If

desired a plate 20 may be secured to the length of wire l9, and this plate may be used for the purpose of displaying suitable advertising matter.

In the interest of economy and simplicity in manufacture, the frame H, handle l2 and loops 16 are all formed from a single length of wire. One way this may be accomplished is shown in the drawing. Briefly a length of suitable Wire is bent to form the rectangularly shaped frame H and it will be noted from Figure l of the drawing that bending of the frame starts at a point intermediate the ends of the right hand end rail 14. Thus the right hand end rail M is actually formed of two wire sections indicated by the numerals 2| and 22. After bending of the frame H is completed the wire extending. from the extremity of the section 22 is bent to form the right hand loop IE, and upon completion of this bending operation, the wire is bent to form the inverted U-shaped handle i2. It Will be noted that the portion of the wire at the juncture of the right hand loop and handle is bent under the section 22 and that the end of the section 2! is looped around this portion as at 23 to tie the parts together. After the handle i2 is bent the wire remaining is bent to form the left hand loop l6 and the extremity of the wire is wound around the adacent portions of the loop and the frame as indicated by the number 24.

Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawing it will be noted that provision is made for suspending two or more carriers from one another. In detail a hanger 25 having a hook 2% is pivoted to the carriers in a manner that the hook extends downwardly from the frame I i. The hook 28 is adapted to engage the base portion 2'! of the lJ-shaped handle 52 of another carrier, and the base portion 2'! is offset slightly as at 28 to locate the hook centrally of the handle. The construction is such that when the hanger 25 is not in use, it may be swung to a position sub-.

stantially parallel to the frame H and the hook 26 may be hooked over the adjacent side rail l3 of the frame H to hold the hanger in its inoperative position.

The hanger 25 is also formed of a single length of wire bent to a substantially V-shape. The hook 26 is formed by return bending the base of the V-shaped hanger in an upward direction and the free ends of the leg portions of the hanger are loosely looped around lateral offsets H3 at the lower ends of the legs I of the handle in a manner to provide sufficient pivotal movement of the hanger to enable swinging the same between the operative and inoperative positions thereof shown respectively in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Dispensing equipment comprising a carrier having laterally spaced side rails and having end rails respectively connecting the side rails at opposite ends of the latter, a handle in the form of an inverted U-shaped part having the extremities of the leg portions respectively connected to the end rails, a member having the opposite ends respectively slidably supported on the leg portions of the U-shaped part and cooperating with the side rails to hold an edible material in position on the side rails.

2. Dispensing equipment comprising a carrier having laterally spaced side rails and having end rails respectively connecting the side rails at opposite ends of the latter, a handle in the form of an inverted U-shaped part having the extremities of the leg portions respectively connected to the end rails, a member having the opposite ends respectively slidably supported on the leg portions of the U-shaped part and cooperating with the side rails to hold an edible material in position on the side rails, and means at opposite ends of the handle for respectively supporting beverage containers.

3. Dispensing equipment comprising a carrier having laterally spaced side rails and having end rails respectively connecting the side rails at opposite ends of the latter, a handle in the form of an inverted U-shaped part having the extremities of the leg portions respectively connected to the end rails, and having open loops projecting laterally outwardly from the lower ends of theleg portions of the U-shaped part of sufficient dimension to receive and support beverage containers, and means on the handle cooperating with the side rails for clamping an edible material on the side rails.

4. Dispensing equipment comprising a carrier having an open frame on which edible material may be positioned, a handle in the form of an inverted U-shaped part having the leg portions respectively connected to opposite sides of the frame, open loops projecting laterally outwardly from opposite sides of the frame and being of a size to receive and support beverage containers, and means supported for sliding movement on the leg portions of the U-shaped part and cooperating with the frame to hold edible material on said frame.

5. Dispensing equipment comprising a carrier having an open frame including laterally spaced side rails and end rails, open loops respectively projecting laterally outwardly from the end rails and being of a size to receive and support beverage containers, an inverted U-shaped handle having the lower end portions of the legs thereof respectively connected to the end rails, and a member having the opposite ends respectively slidably supported on the legs of the U-shaped handle and cooperating with the frame to hold edible material in position thereon.

6. Dispensing equipment comprising a carrier embodying a single length of wire bent to provide an open frame having an inverted U-shaped handle and having loops dimensioned to receive and support beverage containers, and means slidably supported on the leg portions of the U-shaped handle and cooperating with the frame to hold edible material thereon.

'7. Dispensing equipment comprising a carrier having a frame on which an edible material is adapted to be supported, loops at opposite sides of the frame of a size to receive and support beverage containers, an inverted U-shaped handle having the leg portions connected to the frame, a member having the opposite ends respectively slidably supported on the leg portions of the handle and cooperating with the frame to hold edible material thereon, and a hanger pivoted on the frame and having a hook selectively engageable with one side of the frame and the handle of a similar frame.

8. Dispensing equipment comprising a carrier having laterally spaced side rails and having end rails connecting the side rails to provide a supporting frame for the product to be dispensed, a handle having a hand gripping part extending in the general direction of the side rails and spaced above the supporting frame intermediate the side rails, depending parts respectively connecting the end portions of the hand gripping part to the end rails, and a member extending between the depending parts below the hand gripping part and having the opposite ends respectively slidably engaging the depending parts, said member having a portion intermediate the ends engageable with the dispensable product on the supporting frame for clamping the product in place on the frame.

9. The dispensing equipment set forth in claim 8 in which a part shaped to form an open loop is supported by one of the rails at one side of the frame for holding a beverage container.

10. The dispensing equipment set forth in claim 8 in which the handle and depending 1 parts comprise a single length of wire and in which the ends or" the depending parts are shaped to provide open loops at opposite sides of the frame for receiving beverage containers.

11. Dispensing equipment comprising a carrier having laterally spaced side rails and having end rails connecting the side rails to provide a supporting frame for the product to be dispensed, an inverted U-shaped wire handle having the leg portions respectively connected to the end 6 rails and having the extremities bent to provide open loops at opposite sides of the frame for supporting beverage containers, and means for clamping the dispensable product on the frame including a member extending between the leg portions of the handle and having the opposite ends respectively slidably engaging the leg portions.

HARRY S. HAWKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

